Fire-escape.



V. E. WOLLIN.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 12. I917- Patented Apr. 8; 1919 III IIIII and which can be kept out of the way in.

vro'ron E. WOLLIN, or MINNEAPOLIS, minnnsorn.

rmE-EsoAr Specification of Iletters Patent,

Patented Apr. 8," 1919.

Application filed May 12, 1917. Serial No. 168,253.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VICTOR E. WOLLIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Improvement. in F ire-Escapes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvementsin fire escapes, and has for its primary object to provide a safe and convenient device which can be easily used by the operator,

the rooms of hotels and other buildings, in readiness for use. More particularly this invention relates to that class of fire escapes, which can be used on ropes, cables, or other life lines, hanging through windows or other openings when in use, and coiled up out of the way when not in actual service. In the accompanying drawing formin part of this specification, Figure 1 is a plan of my invention, part of the structure being broken away and in section; Fig. 2 is an edge View; Fig. 3 is a section of a detail taken on the line X.X of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a perspective of a detail; Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line YY of Fig. l, and Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line Z-Z of Fig. 1. In the drawing, let A indicate a portion of a rope or cable, which is adapted for use by securing one of its ends in the room of a building and suspending the other end freely through a window and allowing it to extend down to the ground, and down which rope or cable the occupant or occupants of the building may descend by the use of my invention. In order to descend on the rope, I provide apparatus'which is adapted to be used as a life saver, and by use of which a person may regulate the speed of his descent down the rope. This life saver is provided with a tube B, through which the rope passes freely, a convolution or snub C being formed 1 between the ends of the tubethrough which one of the legs of the person is passed. By this convolution the rope meets with fri tion,

which tends to retard the downward descent of the person, but said. friction at no time is sufficient to entirely prevent the downward progress. stantially the same diameter as the loop 0 and situated opposite the same is secured to the tube B by welding or other suitable means, the loop D being a dummy through which the rope A does not pass and being Another loop D of sub made of suitable material. This loop D receives the other leg of the user, said loops in use being-drawn up over the thighs so as to support the'body of the wearer, and allowing the wearerfree use of his or her hands to hold the upwardly extending portion of the tube B containing the rope.

The loop or snub G and downward extension 23 thereof is a channel (see Figs. 5 and 6) in which a brake band E is held. This band is in the form of a flexible striplof pin 5 to an arm 6 of a bell crank lever, said lever beingpivoted at its angle at 7 on" a fitting 8 andits other arm 9 forming a con I trolling handle,-the downward movement of which causes the brake band EI to tighten over the rope in the channel loop G, and'thus assist in retarding thedownward progress of a person in the life saveron the rope A.

* That portion of the loop .0 through which the brake band E rests as before stated is a channellO as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 5, the open side of said channel facing outwardly toward the periphery of the loop G.

The fitting 8 is secured to the upwardly extending portion of the tube B and is anchored-to the loop D bymeans of the bar 11 inclining downwardly and outwardly. The loopD is also secured to the side of the tube B by another bar or brace 12, so as to sustain the loopD in a position corresponding substantially with that assumed by the loop 0. The brake lever operating arm 9 is formed with a shoulder 13 and the fitting 8 is provided with a freely hinged dog-1 L which is adapted to engage the shoulder 13,

when thelever 9 is pressed downwardlyfin;

position, to hold the rope tightly in the loop" I C and limit or impede movement between,

the life saver and rope. The brake band, E

is lined with a fiat spring 15, which not mally tends to expand the band and release the rope in the loop when thecontrolling lever 9 is released from engagement with the pawl 14. cover 24, slidably secured to turn on the channel member 23 bv headed pinsfl25 passing through slots 26, 'serves to I removably holdthe rope A in the channel l falling out.

After the device has been used it can be raised by a return line 20 secured by the loop 21 to the upper end of the tube, the brake releasing the rope and allowing it to either travel freely through the snub or to be lifted entirely free of the snub. When the rope-is lifted out of the snub it is entirely removed from the channel by opening the cover. Qtthus freeing the rope and allowing it to travel freely through the tube.

In operation while a person is descending the rope A, the braking action is applied by the lever. 9, it being comparatively easy to regulate the speed of descent by the amount of pressure applied. The pawl 1 1 and stop 13 serve to brake the device when a person is mounting it. After the person has adj usted the device and is in comfortable position the pawl is released and the speed is controlled by the lever 9.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I

' have described the principles of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the construction shown is only. illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by-other means and applied to uses other than those above set forth and yet fallwithin the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is 1'. In combination with a life line, a tube throughwhich'the line passesfreely, formed with a snubloop arranged to receive a leg of the user, saidloop being a channel with its open side facing outwardly toward the periphe ry of said 100 9 to admit the line in said loop and permit tie line being lifted out, another loop secured to said tube and arranged to receive the other leg of the user, a brake band lying in the channel of said. snub loop having one end anchored to the opposite loop and 'a part extending upwardly over the portion of said line lying in said snub loop, and means mounted on said tube and attached to the upper end of said brake band for tightening said band upon said line in said snub loop.

2. In combination with a life line, a tube through which the line passes freely, and formedwith a snub loop arranged to receive a legof the user, said loop having an open side facing outwardly to admit the line into said loop and permit the line being lifted out, another loop secured to said tube arranged to receive the other leg of the user,

a brake band extending over said life line resting in said snub loop, means for tightening said band against said life line to control the speed of descent of a person down said line, and means for releasing said band to allow the line to be lifted out of said snub loop.

8. In combination with a life line, a tube through which the line passes freely, formed with a. snub loop channel in which said line rests, said loop being arranged to receive a leg of the user, another loop secured to said tube and arranged to receive the other leg of theuser, means for applying braking aetion against that portion of the line oontained in said snub loop channel to control the speed of a person in said loops down said line and means at the lower end of said snub loop channel for releasably holding said line in said channel whereby said line can be removed from said channel to allow said tube to slide freely along said line.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

V TCTOR E. WOLLIN.

.Gopi es ofthis patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commisaioner of Patents,

' Washington, 12.50." 

